decoupling my dick smith floorstanders !

[Sean de Silva]

posting a few pics of my experiment with decoupling my dick smith floorstanders from the floor.

big difference in soundstage ! ive always been on the lookout for cones/spikes as feet for my towers and im now looking to further decouple the speakers from the already decoupled stand! lol
had a look at the cones/spikes made by FM magma on his website....mouthwatering stuff indeed!
suggestions from FMs are most welcome!

 

[corElement]

What are the differences you noticed?

 

[Sean de Silva]

well obviously since this is post damping / decoupling - quite a few things infact..

a tight clean smooth bass,no resonance, no jarring, no lingering harmonics, warm treble, sweet mids and well rounded off highs...this may sound weird but i hear so much more detail that i've never heard before on my prerecorded audio compact discs.

 

[corElement]

Sounds like your floorstanders have a narrow off axis configuration. My e875 towers are similar. The d830's I use now have a wide off axis configuration and the sound relatively stays the same wherever I hear it from as compared to the e875's where they had to be aligned differently for different characteristics.

I've noticed narrow off axis speakers also have more punch sound compared to wide axis but at the same time the wide axis ones also sound more "natural" even though it's not as projected. Just different types of sound I guess.

 

[Sean de Silva]

Sounds like your floorstanders have a narrow off axis configuration. My e875 towers are similar. The d830's I use now have a wide off axis configuration and the sound relatively stays the same wherever I hear it from as compared to the e875's where they had to be aligned differently for different characteristics.

I've noticed narrow off axis speakers also have more punch sound compared to wide axis but at the same time the wide axis ones also sound more "natural" even though it's not as projected. Just different types of sound I guess.

not too familiar with the narrow/wide axis response profiles you talk about....but these towers are natural sounding speakers. no coloration at all.

 

[magma]

hmm

im sorry i have a differnt opinion

i see a lot of things done wrong

firstly a wood pedestal with PVC buffers - is a no no for me
its like mounting your floorstander on any regular shelf or cabinet!

you probably noticed a diff in detail becuase you raised the floorstander by a couple inches
the tweeter position has probably changed to a more favourable height

i dont think the detail has suddenly come by mounting the speaker on a wooden paltform with PVC door stoppers

since you have now hit the correct height

think of spiking the speaker directly to the floor and achieving this height

if the platform is a must
it shouldnt be hollow like this

get two granite/marble blocks stuck back to back
get the sides nicely polished

see if you can get them drilled

and then see if the following can be achived

http://www.hifivision.com/diy/4664-diy-stands-standanddeliver-i-stood-hope-i-delivered.html

see posts 2 to 6

 

[Sean de Silva]

hmm

im sorry i have a differnt opinion

i see a lot of things done wrong

firstly a wood pedestal with PVC buffers - is a no no for me
its like mounting your floorstander on any regular shelf or cabinet!

you probably noticed a diff in detail becuase you raised the floorstander by a couple inches
the tweeter position has probably changed to a more favourable height

i dont think the detail has suddenly come by mounting the speaker on a wooden paltform with PVC door stoppers

since you have now hit the correct height

think of spiking the speaker directly to the floor and achieving this height

if the platform is a must
it shouldnt be hollow like this

get two granite/marble blocks stuck back to back
get the sides nicely polished

see if you can get them drilled

and then see if the following can be achived

http://www.hifivision.com/diy/4664-diy-stands-standanddeliver-i-stood-hope-i-delivered.html

see posts 2 to 6

Thank You Ali for your reply . had my fingers crossed wondering what you were going to say about this setup

well...firstly floor space is not a luxury that i enjoy so i'm constrained to place these beautiful towers in the usual triangular listening formation so as to optimise their effect and achieve a stereophonic sound ...FM denom will allude to the earlier depressing monophonic sound setup This has a flipside as it exposes the towers to people accidently bumping into them and then watching them wobble which was so damn irksome ! hence the wooden speaker shelf with a border serves as a fantastic deterrent . no more human-speaker run-ins lol ! But since you feel this is not a good setup....i'm not sure spiking the speakers directly would prevent them from toppling over as well as the granite slabs with no borders to encompass them completely. totally bemused now

 

[Sean de Silva]

oops where did the floorstander feet pics just dissappear..

let me try this again..


showcasing the "feet"!

@Ali - how do you suggest we achieve a workaround this dilemma given the constraints cited earlier..

 

[jaudere]

Hi Sean, I have done something different again. I have drilled something called 'cater goli' or caster ball rather than spikes. It is like a single ball of ball bearing about half an inch in diameter. It is available with all harware stores where they have hweels used for small tables/chairs. Since it is a sphere, the contact point is really a 'point' like a spike. At the same time, it also works as wheels. I just pull the speakers into room during derious listeningand when I am done, I push them back to wall. So it serves dual purpose: de coupling and smooth movement. I have posted pics in my thread 'planning new open baffles with all ahuja drivers'. Please go through it. I am unable to give link as I am typing on my mobile. Try it out. 4 castor balls cost just 200 rs. Use them on the same platform in place of those white feet.

 

[corElement]

hmm

im sorry i have a differnt opinion

i see a lot of things done wrong

firstly a wood pedestal with PVC buffers - is a no no for me
its like mounting your floorstander on any regular shelf or cabinet!

you probably noticed a diff in detail becuase you raised the floorstander by a couple inches
the tweeter position has probably changed to a more favourable height

This is what I thought as well.

 

[Sean de Silva]

Hi Sean, I have done something different again. I have drilled something called 'cater goli' or caster ball rather than spikes. It is like a single ball of ball bearing about half an inch in diameter. It is available with all harware stores where they have hweels used for small tables/chairs. Since it is a sphere, the contact point is really a 'point' like a spike. At the same time, it also works as wheels. I just pull the speakers into room during derious listeningand when I am done, I push them back to wall. So it serves dual purpose: de coupling and smooth movement. I have posted pics in my thread 'planning new open baffles with all ahuja drivers'. Please go through it. I am unable to give link as I am typing on my mobile. Try it out. 4 castor balls cost just 200 rs. Use them on the same platform in place of those white feet.

thanks jaudere but i'm not too excited about the prospect of having my floorstanders moving around the room on castor balls. i'd rather have them fixed like statues to one designated sweet spot!

 

[Sean de Silva]

Ali, looks like the granite base plate with conical spikes in your DIY project is THE best solution forward for my floorstanders... but what about a border for the stone to hold the speaker within?

How about some other stone like marble or even better cuddapah stone which is heavier and used in construction for stability ...

 

[gobble]

Polished granite almost black with flakes in it looks cool. I got blu-tack and use that between speaker and granite and between the granite and floor.

--G

 

[baijuxavior]

I'm a fast reader and sometimes it can result in unwanted connotations. I read 'smith' as 'with'

 

[venk61176]

You need to create a speaker plinth like this with low spike. It will help and probably you can try doing in 21 or 19 inch rubberwood.

Analogue Seduction - Hi-Fi Racks Isolation Plinths | Analogue Seduction

Thanks
Venkat

 

[Sean de Silva]

Polished granite almost black with flakes in it looks cool. I got blu-tack and use that between speaker and granite and between the granite and floor.

--G

thanks for the suggestion . i'll have to get the bluetack too

 

[Sean de Silva]

I'm a fast reader and sometimes it can result in unwanted connotations. I read 'smith' as 'with'

 

[Sean de Silva]

You need to create a speaker plinth like this with low spike. It will help and probably you can try doing in 21 or 19 inch rubberwood.

Analogue Seduction - Hi-Fi Racks Isolation Plinths | Analogue Seduction

Thanks
Venkat

i'm thinking of going black granite .....

 

[magma]

ok after your call i realised that accurate drilling in granite may be an issue for you

heres a simpler way to do it

Get either some prelam MDF or Plywood with veneared sides or polished hardwood- 19mm
Get a slab on granite

such that the granite is 1.5 inches larger than your speaker from all sides ( i would prefer the same size for aesthetics but ofcourse in your case you require that extra size so that ppl dont bump into your speaker )

the wood should be 1 inch larder than your speaker base from all sides



Now drill holes on the four corners of the wood base (size depending on the T nut you are going to use which in turn depends on the spikes)
Afix the tnut

now stick the wood to the granite

hey presto you have a workable platform

once you spike it you will have a platform that is 19mm+16mm+25mm ( approx 2.5 inches high )

if you require somethin higher - double up on the wood or granite


if you like i can do the wood and spike work (if you dont fancy DIY)
all you will then have to do is get a marble or granite pc and affix it on the top

 

[Sean de Silva]

Thanks Ali ! i'll touch base with you soon! but i'm not too keen on a composite of wood + granite. given a choice , i'd go for a thick granite + spikes combo!